* Reluctantly, I voted Alabama No. 1. The Tide really did not deserve their place in the BCS title game, but once there, they dominated an LSU team that seemed puzzlingly clueless on offense. For all the big games he's won, Les Miles should be held to account for this debacle. His refusal to replace Jordan Jefferson is the definition of insanity: Keep doing the same thing and expect different results.

* For what it's worth, Alabama becomes the first team to win a mythical national title without winning its conference or division - not counting indepedents, of course.

* The Big Ten barely salvaged some pride, with Michigan sneaking into the top 10 as the conference's lone representative. The Wolverines won an ugly contest against Virginia Tech in the Sugar Bowl to help the Big Ten finish with a somewhat respectable 4-6 record in the bowl season.

* The same can't be said for the ACC and Big East, whose top teams finished 16th (Virginia Tech) and 17th (West Virginia), respectively. In contrast, the Mountain West placed two teams in the top 11 and Conference USA two in the top 20. The BCS's AQ status is now officially a joke.

* New teams on the ballot this week, after bowl victories: BYU and Cincinnati.

The bowl season is upon us. There are 35 bowl games, starting Saturday all the way through the Jan. 9 BCS championship game. A lot of those bowls will be dogs, completely unwatchable games between mismatched opponents.

Samuel Chi

The Guru is a journalist who takes time from his busy schedule to provide this important public service. And of course, the Guru is so well-rounded that he has interests beyond the gridiron and crystal ball. Check out his other adventures -- after first buckle your seat belt.